Returning Citizens
The Mission Statement
Healing Our Land, Inc. (HOLI) ministries is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in
Boston with a mission to empower returning citizens and enrich the livelihoods of
currently and formerly incarcerated community members throughout the Boston area
through holistic mentorship, civic education, and healing justice programs.
HOLI ministries is led by Black and Latinx faith-based organizers, youth and older
adults, as well as currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. We work collectively
to care for returning citizens in Boston seeking resources to improve their everyday
lives. HOLI partners with city agencies, grassroots groups, and local residents directly
affected by the jail and prison system to provide pathways to essential resources and
human services, such as employment, education, healthcare, and housing support.
HOLI staff and volunteers also assist residents behind bars in Boston with exercising
their right to vote and build a more inclusive democracy.
HOLI began in 1998 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities. Since
2020, HOLI has worked with the African American Coalition Committee (AACC),
Mayor’s Office of Returning Citizens, African American Diabetes Association, and the
Democracy Behind Bars Coalition, among other organizations, to push forward positive
social change in collaboration with people most impacted by incarceration in Boston
About Healing Our Land
Who We Are
Healing Our Land, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to serve both the currently incarcerated population as well as returning citizens.
Healing Our Land began in 1998 primarily in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was devastating the African American community at that time. The organization offered mentorship, education, support, resources and healing to men of color in and around the Boston area to improve the lives of those in the local community.
Over time, the needs of the city have shifted, so Healing Our Land has transformed to meet those changing priorities. As it exists today, the organization’s primary focus is supporting returning citizens and the currently incarcerated by means of building relationships and preparing the way for reentry.
Healing Our Land intends to persist in its mission of supporting Boston’s local population long into the future, no matter how those needs may continue to evolve.
About Healing Our Land
Who We Are
Healing Our Land, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to serve both the currently incarcerated population as well as returning citizens
Healing Our Land began in 1998 primarily in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was devastating the African American community at that time. The organization offered mentorship, education, support, resources and healing to men of color in and around the Boston area to improve the lives of those in the local community.
Our Impact
What We Do
Healing Our Land
strives to directly meet the needs of incarcerated citizens and returning citizens in the following ways:
- Building long-term relationships with individuals to foster an ongoing sense of comfort, support, and accountability along the reentry journey
- Providing immediate needs and the support to acquire relevant resources for returning citizens, including
- Cell phones
- Legal identification
- Health insurance
- Access to food
- Mental health resources
- Housing resources
- Information about voting rights
- Supporting the emotional and
spiritual needs of the incarcerated community through Christian radio ministry and direct faith-based counseling and support
Attend Summits, conferences around the country. Meeting with other organizations who are doing the same type of work as well as learning of new methods of going about doing the work. We have Attended conferences in Colorado, Chicago, and as far away as Africa to see how the world is treating their incarcerated population.
More Support
Request a prayer or spiritual support
Partner With Us
How to Help
- Donations
- Volunteering
- Sponsor a returning citizen during care package season 3 x’s a year
- Send Christmas cards
Email: Info.healingourlandinc@gmail.com
Phone: 617- 435-2066
Mail us @: H.O.L.I 670 Washington St. Dorchester, MA 02124
STAY CONNECTED
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MEET OUR TEAM
Pastor Franklin Hobbs
Founder
Pastor Franklin Wendell Hobbs is the founder of Healing our Land Inc. (H.O.L.I), a nonprofit organization serving currently and formerly incarcerated persons in the Boston area by providing spiritual…
Eric Kennedy
Eric Kennedy was born and raised in Boston, MA. Throughout his life, he has dedicated himself to community service as a member of the Guardian Angels…
Dr. DeAnza A. Cook
DeAnza Avonna Cook (she/her) is a provost postdoctoral fellow and assistant professor of contemporary African American History and Black Leadership at The Ohio State University. ….
Priscilla Flint
From the vibrant streets of Roxbury to the halls of educational reform, Priscilla Flint’s story is one of resilience, empowerment, and transformative leadership. A proud product of the Boston Public School system, Priscilla’s pursuit of education led her to Cambridge College, where she earned a Master’s in Education. This achievement marked the beginning of a journey that would see her transition from finance to becoming a beacon of hope and change in Boston.
